Diary of William Johnson

[...] Tuesday Dec: 7 [1841], Strong frost and cloudy, wind north-west. Thomas assisting to finish chimney in Schoolmasters’ house.

[...] Saturday Dec: 25 [1841], Same weather, dined on roast goose, and drank damnation to orangism.

[...] Monday Feb: 21 [1842], William went to collect money, gave Mr. Law the school books to retail to scholars. Mr. Peck thrashing Wheat. Mr. McDonald came and assessed me. Wild lands 505 on Lots 23, 6, 1, 1, cultivated 95 acres, gave him also a statistical account of my house and farm.

Tuesday Feb: 22 [1842], Showers of snow. Mr. Peck thrashing spring wheat, Thomas: chopping. Captain Bourchies came and paid me £6 4-0, towards the payment of [Pristow's?] lot, examined the scholars at school district No: 2, 31 Scholars, several of whom have considerably advanced in the English and French grammars. And in arithmetic some had made great progress. the same in writing. I consider the forward State of the Scholars of this school and the excellent discipline observed very evident signs of the ability of the teachers.

[...] Thursday Feb: 27th [1842] a return of frost. Agreed with Mr. McDonald to take this farm another year. He funds half the seed, and I give him half the crop to be divided in the Sheaf, the [illegible] and [illegible] to be divided. He finds himself in provisions and I find for the horses.

[...] Monday March 10 [1842], arrived in Gorgina having traveled 60 miles in two days through the muddiest roads I ever saw. Found that Mr Young the miller had left on Saturday evening.

[...] Thursday March 13 [1842], fine weather; settled with Mr. Young in full of all demands. Saw mill - saw broke He went this morning for Thora with his family to take Calders mill on Shares.

[...] Thursday March 26 [1842] same weather unseasonable - its too warm now to make sugar. William went away home to prune the apple trees, and to start on Saturday for Toronto - gave him my bills for £27 Sterling - payable to the cashier of the banks of Upper Canada: Gave him a cheque on the bank for £25 comming and another for £19.10.0 on the same.

[...] Tuesday April 15th [1842] same weather, James finished harrowing. Planted onions in garden. George digging asparagus.

[...] Tuesday April 22 [1842]. Same fine weather; grafting apple trees. Got the grafts from Mr. Calvin [illegible]. digging garden and planting top onions. John Griffen arrived in the evening from Toronto.

[...] Friday May 30 [1842], very hard frost in on the water this morning planted out more early potatoes. John Griffen digging garden and hauled some rails for fence.

[...] Sunday June 1st [1842]. Warm. Plums all destroyed by last frost; some of carrots also.

[...] Thursday May 4 [1843]. Same weather. Planting top onions. Boys digging in the garden.

Friday May 5 [1843], same very cold weather with showers of hail - planting out more onions. Received a petition from William [Hib?] to present to the Municipal Counci l- William carried provision to mill.

Saturday May 6 [1843]. Still cold weather. Boys chopping and underbrushing back of the Orchard.

[...] Monday May 8 [1843]. Went to attend Council. Joliff planting in Wheat.

[...] Saturday June 17 [1843]. Same weather. Mr. Joliff took one of my horses without permission to Toronto.

[...] Monday June 19 [1843], Same weather. Mr. Joliff returned about 3 o’co from Toronto, having injured the mares back very much.

[...] Friday June 23 [1843], rain, young horse killed the roan by a Rick. Received a proportion of his fat in a stinking state which was used for soap grease. In skimming the roan a hole was found in his shoulder supposed to be a wound given by one of the steers while one of the cows was a bulling.

[...] Friday Oct: 27 [1843], Snow this morning. Today William Doyle and his wife are to be buried. He threw her into the mill and then himself and they were both drowned.

[...] Saturday Nov: 11 [1843], [illegible]. Temperance meeting Mr. Fairbora had a dollar Last week.

[...] Monday Nov: 13 [1843], same weather, went to attend council.

[...] Monday Nov, 20th [1843] Same cloudy weather. Settled with Mr. Willson in full. paid Brainmar 3-1/2 dollars towards his account. John McDonald 1 day chopping rec’d 4 lbs of soap at 6 from Mr. A. McDonald on account.

[...] Tuesday Nov: 28 [1843], Hard frost on my return from the mill. I met Jamieson Besser who complained that Julian the pensioner had attempted to commit a rape on his daughter a child of 6 years of age, and that Mr. Jones had caught him in the very act. Gave a warrant for his arrest.

Wednesday Nov: 29 [1843]. frost: Jack went to the mill to kill the fatted hog.

[...] Thursday Dec: 19 [1843], moderate frost; but still cloudy weather. Sent the Township warrant to North Willimsburg to be perfected by Squire Prosser . Mr. D.B. Robertson had 24 panes of glass at 6. John McDonald has worked 18 3/4 to this date for his farm which I sold him. Joliffs thrashed in all of wheat last winter 59 1/2 bushels.

[...] Monday Dec: 25 [1843], same weather. Issued a warrant to arrest Mr. Hurst for assault.

Thursday Dec: 26 [1843], same weather, William talking at the mill. Godfrey sawing.

Wednesday Dec: 27 [1843], same weather Godfrey sawing at the mill.

[...] Thursday Jan: 4 [1844]. Snow Last night but hard frost this morning. William delivered McDouglas’ warrant to Park to arrest Joliff and his wife.

[...] Saturday Jan: 6 [1844]. same weather. Mr. Joliff was bound to keep the peace with the family for six months and signed a bond to abide by an arbitration.

[...] Monday Jan: 15 [1844], same weather. Mr. Park came as my arbitrater but it failed entirely on the part of Mr. Joliffe.

[...] Friday March 15 [1844]. Snow, wind easterly. James made 19 lbs of sugar. Rec’d bond for township. Superintendent went to mill to attend to the preparations to begin mill-frame.

[...] Saturday June 29 [1845]. fine day upwards of 130 men assembled from Brock and Georgina and put the mill frame up.

[...] Wednesday July 3 [1845], same weather; same number hands assembled put on the plates and rafters. Mr. Rukie brought potatoes from one of his neighbours for me.

[...] Tuesday July 16 [1845], fine weather; carpenters preparing to lay on siding. Chapman framing floor. Campbell and Griffen digging out square for penstock. McDermott at race. [...] a great proportion of swat when the seed was not washed with pickle.

[...] Thursday July 25 [1845], same weather after a shower of rain last night. Carpenters at framing [husk?]. 2 Thompson’s came to paper for clapboarding. Lyons came to under pin the frame. John Griffen quarrying. McDermott at raceway. County Superintendent came and examined 2 district Schools, found the children very backward in Education.

[...] Sunday Aug: 4 [1845], clear with a strong n’wester. Janet and Margaret badly poisoned with the ivy. Poultice of the plantain leaf and decoction of the rose willow complete cure.

[...] Tuesday Sept: 3 [1845]. Fine dry weather for the harvest. carpenters at siding the north side of building. McDermott at race. John Griffen went to assist James Robertson to harvest. Schoolmaster arrived from Mara for district No 5. He is a Young Irishman knows the Latin and Greek languages, he will prove a useful citizen in the present unlettered state of the province.

[...] Friday Sept: 6 [1845]. Same fine weather. Carpenters are along. J. Griffen and William cutting logs. McDermott at raceway. James attending the mill.

[...] Sunday Sept: 15 [1845], same weather. George had a very severe bilious attack. Applied the usual remedies, calomel and injections.

[...] Thursday Oct: 3 [1845], clear and warm. John Griffen and Bernie wheeling clay on dam. Carpenters at inside work and machinery. McDewott keeps both wheelbarrows going. John Griffen went home and took oxen with him to get in firewood and to assist in coreing Lawsons’ swamp. [...]